Tech Promise graduates celebrate success
Hundreds of newly minted Georgia Tech graduates had a lot to smile about during this year’s spring Commencement weekend. But for one group, the occasion was especially sweet.
The May 2017 graduation class included 14 G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholars, and they were recognized in a special event held at the yet-to-be-named Roger A. and Helen B. Krone Engineered Biosystems Building. The proud graduates were joined by their families and friends; President Peterson and members of his leadership team; and President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough, CE 1964, MS CE 1965, HON Ph.D. 2015, and Michael G. Messner, CE 1976, who along with his wife, Jenny, was the first seven-figure donor to support the Tech Promise endowment.
“I have been in the investment business for a long time,” said Messner, co-founder of Seminole Capital Management in New York. “And my Georgia Tech degree is the best investment I have ever made. Jenny and I are grateful to be in a position to help others obtain their Tech degrees.”
Three-quarters of this Tech Promise cohort graduated with honors, three of them are going on to medical school in the fall — and two of them are engaged to fellow Georgia Tech alumni. To a person, they expressed gratitude as well as a recognition of the importance of philanthropy in opening doors of opportunity and strengthening the Institute.
“Meeting these Tech Promise Scholars on the day of their graduation with their relatives and friends was a joy,” said Clough, under whose leadership the program was conceived and launched. “Hearing them talk about their Tech experiences and their future reinforced what this program is all about. It truly was one of Georgia Tech’s finest moments, and I was proud to be a small part of it.”
All gifts in support of the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise program are appreciated. An individually named endowment may be established under the auspices of Tech Promise with an outright gift, multi-year commitment, or planned gift of $25,000 or more. A gift or commitment of $300,000 will fully endow the typical Georgia Tech Promise scholarship.
The Tech Promise Class of 2017 shared their special day with the president, their families, and supporters of the program like Michael G. Messner.